The Las Vegas Raiders finally parted ways with head coach Pete Carroll on Monday. This news comes as no surprise, as the Raiders finished 3-14 during the 2025 NFL season and showed no real fight or improvement toward the end of the campaign, other than a last stand in Week 18.
Maxx Crosby's bickering with Elandon Roberts and Devin White during games, as well as Geno Smith's constant finger-pointing when addressing the media, painted a picture of a disgruntled team falling apart. For a coach who promised a culture shift in Las Vegas, stuff like that cannot stand.
While the decision to fire Carroll will put the Raiders in the head coach wilderness for the fourth time in five seasons, this occasion is actually different. Whereas Carroll is losing his job, general manager John Spytek is keeping his. That makes it clear who is really in charge in Las Vegas: Tom Brady.
Raiders' Pete Carroll firing proves it's the Spytek-Brady show in Las Vegas
The Raiders even admitted as much when they announced the move on "Black Monday," as Mark Davis's statement clearly reads that Spytek will stick around and work in close collaboration with Tom Brady on everything, including taking a leading role in who the next head coach will be.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 5, 2026
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero corroborated Davis' statement by reporting that Brady was actually in the building on Monday, the day of Carroll's firing, and is prepared to take on a bigger role with the organization.
Spytek and Brady's relationship was the reason that the latter went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Although Spytek is supremely qualified and deserved the job, it's not a stretch to say that he got a leg up with the Raiders because his buddy now owns a minority stake in the franchise.
His sticking around is no mere coincidence; Brady could have more influence than Mark Davis at this point, which would be a good thing. Brady was expected to have a big voice in the organization's major decisions, and he seemingly exercised that by getting Spytek in place and keeping him there.
Brady also heavily pursued Ben Johnson last offseason, as it was well known that the legendary quarterback was courting the then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator. Of course, Johnson wound up with the Chicago Bears, and nothing was reported about Brady's involvement after that.
Reports also indicated during the season that Carroll's boss was Mark Davis, whereas Chip Kelly's boss was Brady. Carroll decided to fire Kelly in an attempt to scapegoat him, and when things got even worse offensively, the veteran coach ran out of leash.
RELATED: Raiders fans will love this predicted Pete Carroll replacement in Las Vegas
Carroll is certainly to blame for much of the Raiders' shortcomings in 2025, but it's not like Spytek had a perfect offseason. Yes, Carroll is as experienced as they come and was expected to produce great results immediately, and Spytek was a first-time general manager upon his hiring.
But there are certainly some choices that Spytek wishes he could have back this year. His getting to grow through these mistakes is partially a product of where he is in his career, but it could also be because Brady's influence looms large.
Las Vegas has parted ways with four head coaches since 2020, and each time, the general manager followed them out the door. But now, Spytek will seemingly have the privilege of helping the Raiders select their next leader.
Tom Telesco didn't get that opportunity when the franchise parted ways with Antonio Pierce. Dave Ziegler didn't get that chance when the organization axed Josh McDaniels. Mike Mayock didn't get to choose Jon Gruden's successor in Las Vegas. So, this is very clearly different.
Raider Nation won't complain too much about Spytek sticking around, as his rookie class seemed promising when they got the opportunity, and he didn't lock Las Vegas into any ridiculous contracts that aren't flexible. He'll have the No. 1 pick and over $100 million to spend this season. Sitting pretty.
Carroll being fired after one season is a textbook Mark Davis move, as the son of the iconic Al Davis is known to have the impatience that his father possessed toward the end of his life. But Spytek sticking around is unusual for Davis, which means there may be a strong, Tom Brady-sized voice in his ear.